HB - Protects Against Corrosion
It is moisture in the air that causes steel to rust. Where relative humidity is below 45-50 %RH the shiniest steel can be stored without risk of corrosion. Where it lies above 60%RH however, the corrosion process will begin. The higher the relative humidity above 60%, the more quickly rust will form. And where free water is present on the surface, corrosion will start extremely quickly.
To protect iron and steel products against corrosion, they must be stored in an environment of constant, low atmospheric humidity. These conditions can be ensured through dehumidification - even without heating - as the corrosion process is not dependent on storage temperature. Further surface treatment of the materials is rendered unnecessary.
Dry storage is a very common way of protecting iron and steel (and indeed many other materials). This applies to machinery with large internal surfaces, which when not in operation may otherwise suffer some internal corrosion. Some examples of this application include sugar refineries (where machine are operational only for some months a year during "the Campaign"), power plants (where boilers, turbines and condensers are taken out of operation periodically), and heating plants (which have varying levels of heat output between the summer and the winter).
Other examples of the application of dehumidification:
- Bridge constructions
- Military aircraft and tanks
- Containers and vessels
- Power stations
- CHP Plant
- Sugar refineries
- Dry air storage facilities
- Garages and hangars
- Boilers, Turbines, Condensers